Nazarr (prime)
Nazarr (pronounced nah-ZARR), a.k.a. Nazarr Csaba Faendryl, is a male Faendryl Dark Elf from a small mountain village in Dragach in the Turamzzyrian Empire. He is a citizen of Wehnimer's Landing, though he can often be found hunting in the Red Forest, the Citadel, Glydemar Forest, or the Blighted Forest.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearance
You see Great Lord Nazarr Csaba Faendryl the Scoundrel.
He appears to be a Dark Elf.
He is strikingly tall. He appears to have come of age. He has piercing grey-green eyes and ebon skin. He has shoulder length, straight bone white hair tucked neatly behind his ears. He has an angular face, a slightly crooked nose and classically elegant, chiseled high cheekbones.
He has a tattoo depicting a silvery circle of interlocked Faendryl sigils on his neck.
He has a scar across his neck.
He is wearing a gold-trimmed diamond hydra pendant, a sable velvet cloak trimmed with silver keys and locks, a quintuple orb brooch, a lead-bound maoral badge, an etched militia badge, a golden battle dragon pin wielding dual inverted ruby quarter notes, a silvery cedar tree pin, a small golden Paupers pin, a dark red vaalorn lute symbol accented with gold, a veil iron shield, a skull-buckled leather baldric with a longsword and an ivory-hilted vultite backsword secured to it, a spiral-inset black leather pack, a jet black embroidered linen vest with a single pocket, some dark leather scalemail, a thickly padded heavy cotton gambeson, a glacial white smooth glaes armband, a thin leather cuff lined with small pockets, a wide hammered silver wrist cuff, a faenor-leafed onyx rose ring, a blood red teardrop-etched scarab ring, a fringed leather gem sack, a brown suede locksmith's toolkit, a vaalin-laced keyring, some tailored raven black plumille trousers embroidered with locks and musical notes, and some slouched onyx leather boots with burnished bronze buckles.
Backstory
Nazarr's parents are refugees from "over the mountains.” His father (Hodei, meaning “cloud”) was once a bard; his mother (Simisola, meaning “rest in wealth”) was once a maker of instruments. However, for nearly two hundred years--or as long as they have inhabited the Dragach village of Othelen--they have refused to tell any of their offspring about the land that they left, who or what they were fleeing, what offense they might have committed, why they gave up their former professions, which they loved, or why they choose to remain in the human empire. Nazarr would like to know the truth, even if it hurts—which he strongly suspects that it will.
It is a fact, however, that in 4921, an assassination attempt was made on the Turamzzyrian Emperor Trydall (who was supported by the House of Kestrel). The assassin was captured within a few hours and confessed to having been hired by Prentius, the son of Emperor Ralick II, and it is known that four Turamzzyrian noble houses supported Prentius in this. It is possible that Hodei and/or Simisola were enmeshed in this conspiracy for their own reasons, though if so, their involvement would almost certainly have been at a distance--Faendryl being no better trusted in the human empire than they are anywhere else. They may have done no more than provide spells or enchanted items to the conspirators. However, the Faendryl reputation is such that if their involvement was known, they would have been viewed as the ones who had manipulated Prentius into conspiring with the four human aristocratic houses in order to weaken--perhaps destroy--the human empire.
Whatever they did and whatever their motives--or indeed, whether they were involved in Prentius's assassination conspiracy at all--one thing is known: Hodei and Simisola, as well as all of their relatives, left their seaside homes near the southern border in late 4921 and meandered vaguely eastward and northward, splitting off in groups of two, three, and four over the course of their journey. Why the journey took so long is not known, but they may have been striving to evade the hazards of the road (beasts, monsters, and bandits) as well as Imperial soldiers and Imperial spies while trying to seem as if they were not evading anyone at all.
By the time they reached the peaks of the Dragonspine Mountains and the tiny farming village of Othelen in the autumn of 4933 (and ran out of money, necessitating that they stay or risk almost certain death traveling during winter), only four Dark Elves remained: Hodei, Simisola, Hodei's older brother Rostam, and Simisola's twin sister Ngozi. Hodei's and Simisola's oldest child was born in Othelen in the following year on the Day of Zelia's Warning.
The youngest of four children, Nazarr, whose name means "vow," was born in 4939 on the 11th of Imaerasta. As of Ivastaen 2020, he is 180 years old...of age by elven and dark elven standards, but just barely.
While loved by his family throughout his childhood, Nazarr and his family were feared by much of Othelen. There were only six elven families in the village, and his family was the only one of the six who were Dark Elven. There was a general perception that the four adult dark elves were enemy spies and that Hodei's and Simisola's children were being raised to become spies as well. This distrust was exacerbated when Nazarr was ten. Some human farmers started a burnoff in a field near where he and some friends were playing, and the fire quickly surrounded the children. Flames slew one human boy who couldn't outrun them; the smoke did for two more, an elven girl and another human boy. The parents of Tholen, the boy who choked on smoke, insisted afterward that Nazarr had deliberately caused the fire. Tholen was their only child, and they were getting on in years.
Adolescence was difficult for Nazarr. First, his mentor in locksmithing, Isen Jether, the oldest elf in the village, was murdered. Othelen's guards never found out who killed him, and Nazarr is still bitter. He firmly believes that none of them tried to discover the murderer's identity, as none cared that a mere elf had died.
Next, his siblings left home. The third-born, Eskarne (meaning "mercy") was the first to leave. Afflicted with visions so intense that she can barely tell them from reality, she joined an order of clerics serving Jastev when still very young; there has been no communication with her since.
The second-born, Uzoma (meaning "good way") was the next. The cleverest and angriest of the four, he became a self-taught necromancer for what he said was vengeance against humans and the Empire, but was disowned by his parents, who feared that news of his profession would lead to a massacre of the few elves and dark elves in Othelen--and quite possibly a massacre throughout Dragach. He stormed off after a venomous quarrel. For decades, Nazarr has heard rumors about a necromancer who follows Fash'lo'nae and who sounds somewhat like his brother...but there has been nothing definite.
His oldest brother (Aybek, meaning "moon master," after an old friend of his father's) left two years later to become a soldier—probably a paladin of Koar, as Aybek believes as firmly in Koar's justice as Nazarr does not--but Nazarr doesn’t know who he serves, humans or elves. There have been letters--possibly from Aybek--but Nazarr's parents have said little save that he is alive. Nazarr believes that his oldest brother has managed to find a way of serving the human empire and that his parents are desperately ashamed of him.
Once his siblings left, Nazarr was the only dark elf of his generation in Othelen. Also, while he was still quite young by elven standards, all of the humans he had known growing up were passing into old age, and even their children were in their middle years. He wanted a home of his own among his people, and though it was becoming obvious to him that while his parents expected him to stay on the farm and raise sheep, he knew that he did not want to remain in Dragach, as he could never truly call it home.
He was also dealing with a fear that still plagues him--a fear of failure. Failure in his lessons (which his parents resumed after his mentor was murdered), failure in his apprenticeship to Isen, failure as a son, failure as a musician, failure as a person. Most of all, he feared that a foolish word or clumsy action on his part would inspire such hatred in some humans that he or his kith and kin would be slaughtered. He was more worried about his family (the only dark elves in the village) and about the other elves in town than about himself, for he did not know how he'd live with the shame of having inadvertently caused their deaths.
During his adolescence, he had a crush on Tiancai, the sister of a Nalfein friend of his. She was repulsed by the notion of a Faendryl courting her. Nazarr, in turn, was repulsed by her repulsion, so much so that his crush on her immediately died. He left Dragach shortly after, working alternately as a shepherd, a sheep shearer, a cowherd, a thresher, a reaper of grain, a wool comber, a harvestman, a fruit picker, a trapper, a poacher, a shill, a peddler, a storyteller, a mummer, a beer seller, a scribe and a rat catcher as he carefully made his way through the empire without weapons, armor, or maps. He finally reached the Landing in Phoenatos 5117.
Side Stories
The Rone Resurgence -- Deception, Distrust and a Deck of Cards (IC;took place on the 26th of Imaestra, 5118 at around 3:30 in the morning, elven time)
Miscellaneous
The State of Aurmont's Edict (IC with a couple of OOC asides; posted on the 26th of Lumnea, 5120 at 12:34 a.m. elven time)
Associations & Beliefs
Since he was not raised in a household that worshiped the Arkati but also knows for a fact that the Arkati are real, Nazarr's attitude toward most members of the Pantheons of Liabo, Neutrality and Lornon (and affiliated lesser spirits) is one of fascinated curiosity. The four exceptions are Sheru and Zelia, Luukos, and Koar--Sheru and Zelia because he fears madness, Luukos because the Arkati has a reputation as a liar and deceiver and because Nazarr sees service to Luukos as a victory for despair, and Koar because he is the chief god of the Turamzzyrian Empire and yet has done nothing to stop the oppression, murders and enslavement of elves and half-elves by Imperials. To Nazarr's way of thinking, not stopping oppression is unjust...which he feels is the last thing that a god/patron of justice should be. He strongly suspects that Koar is either comatose or dead and that the other Liabo Arkati have, of necessity, picked up the slack...with decidedly mixed results.
He has a certain liking for Jastev and Cholen as patrons of the visual and performing arts, but does not worship them or consider them his Patrons.
He is a member of House Paupers, of the Faendryl Enclave, and of the Rogue Guild. He is a Defender in the Order of the Azure Hydra in House Daingneach Onoir and is a member of the Wehnimer's Landing Militia. He is presently a journeyman cobbler. In his spare time, he likes to paint and sketch (and, as of Niiman, Phoenatos 29, 5119, is a Master Painter), play music and tell stories. He won third prize in 5118's Bardfest. As of Restday, day 26 of the month Phoenatos in the year 5118, he is a Master of the Order of Voln.